‘Horrifying’: The Sydney fun run that left Mosman a muddy mess

3 months ago 17

A long-running Sydney fun run has fallen out of favour with a north shore council after huge crowd numbers at this year’s event ripped up turf in public parks, damaged public art, and left local streets littered with rubbish and plastic bottles.

Mosman councillors have voted to impose strict new conditions on future events in the wake of a scathing assessment of this year’s charity fun run staged in May.

A photo of the muddy conditions caused during this year’s event.

The Balmoral Burn, an annual event hosted by the Humpty Dumpty Foundation, has been staged in Balmoral since 2001 to help raise funds for sick children in hospital.

The event – a staple on Sydney’s fun run calendar – involves keen runners racing up the steep slopes of Balmoral Beach. This year 2000 people took part.

A review by Mosman Council has highlighted a string of concerns over the management of the event including “substantial turf damage” at the starting point at Balmoral Beach, which required a complete replacement of the grass at a cost of $16,882.

A custom public art piece erected at Balmoral Reserve as part of the Mosman Art Trail was also damaged by a large vehicle during the pack-up period.

Public artwork was left damaged during the event

Mosman Council has also taken umbrage at the “significant” amounts of plastic water bottles distributed to runners at the event – a breach of the “sustainable management plan” which aims to limit the fun run’s environmental footprint.

The event also attracted complaints from multiple Mosman residents about obstructions to footpaths, event gear left “scattered” on walkways, and public parks left a muddy mess.

Mosman councillor Roy Bendall – a resident of Balmoral – said residents also complained about street closures and rubbish left scattered in parkland.

The new conditions set to be imposed on future events include requirements for high-quality ground protection mats to be placed on turf at Balmoral Beach and a $25,000 security deposit that the council says would “serve as an additional layer of preventative protection of public assets.”

Mosman Council has released an assessment of this year’s event.

In a statement, Humpty Dumpty Foundation chief executive Claire Reaney said she was aware of the council’s concerns and committed to working collaboratively with the council and residents during planning for the next event in 2026.

She said impacts of this year’s run were partly due to heavy rainfall in the weeks preceding it.

“We are reviewing all operational factors internally with our suppliers and in consultation with Mosman Council to ensure there is a shared understanding of the circumstances surrounding this year’s event,” she said.

“This includes considering and implementing any measures the council may request for future planning.”

Council also criticised the large number of plastic water bottles distributed during the Balmoral Burn fun run.

Mosman councillor Carolyn Corrigan said photos of damage were “horrifying” but was hopeful the council’s conditions would avoid a repeat at future events.

The council review also took aim at event staff for parking their cars on grass near the Bathers’ Pavilion during set-up and pack-up periods – a breach of the event’s conditions of approval.

This year’s fun run raised $1.6 million for the Humpty Dumpty Foundation, which provides medical equipment and care for children in hospital, bringing the total amount raised since its inception to $36.5 million.

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